MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed to continue building up their coordination on Syria, including through their intelligence services and defence ministries, during a phone call on Monday, the Kremlin said.

The White House also said Obama and Putin had an "intense conversation" that covered Syria and Ukraine.

During the call, the Kremlin said Putin stressed the need for the moderate opposition to distance themselves swiftly from Islamic State and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, and for the closure of Syria's border with Turkey, "from where fighters and arms supplies for the extremists make their way in".

Russia has been repeatedly raising the question of the border, across which, according to Russia, militants are crossing from Turkey into Syria.

The Kremlin said Obama thanked Putin for Russia's help in freeing American citizen Kevin Dawes, who had been in captivity in Syria. The U.S. State Department had said previously Russia played a role in his release.

The two presidents also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, with Putin expressing the hope that with the new Ukrainian government "will finally start taking concrete steps towards implementing the Minsk agreements", the Kremlin said.

(Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Alison Williams)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.